You know, the Starbucks in west Chester refuses to let people use the bathroom or stay if they are not purchasing something. The reason for this is that west Chester is a central hub for services for the homeless in Chester county and many homeless people will sit for hours without purchasing. That being said, while I actuallly was homeless, loitering, and/or asking to use the bathroom I was never refused. I was a young, somewhat attractive, white female. I also tried to not appear homeless to the best of my ability because I am very aware of what a superficial world we live in.
Had my outside appearance given a hint that I was homeless, or anything else seemingly unpleasant I have no doubt I would have been kicked out or refused. I saw it happen over and over to people I knew while homeless.
How many times have you sat down in a restaurant or coffee shop to wait for someone before ordering? It’s common. I personally would have left when I was made to feel unwelcome, BUT that doesn’t excuse how out of hand the situation became. It also doesn’t excuse the fact that had the two men appeared to be upper class white men, they would have not been denied access to the bathroom or questioned.